Melissa Peter-Paul is a Mi'kmaw artist from Abegweit First Nation,

Epekwitk Prince Edward Island is an island province of Canada. While it is the smallest province by land area and population, it is the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", "Birthplace of Confederation" and "C ...

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island is an island Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. While it is the smallest province by land area and population, it is the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...

. Her work is primarily Mi'kmaq

quillwork Quillwork is a form of textile embellishment traditionally practiced by Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of North America that employs the Spine (zoology), quills of porcupines as an aesthetic element. Quills from bird feathe ...

, and utilizes

porcupine Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp Spine (zoology), spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two Family (biology), families of animals: the Old World porcupines of the family Hystricidae, and the New ...

quills, along with

birch bark Birch bark or birchbark is the bark of several Eurasian and North American birch trees of the genus ''Betula''. For all practical purposes, birch bark's main layers are the outer dense layer, white on the outside, and the inner porous layer ( ...

, sweet grass, and

spruce A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' ( ), a genus of about 40 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal ecosystem, boreal (taiga) regions of the Northern hemisphere. ''Picea'' ...

root. She has won multiple awards for her work, which has been featured in group exhibitions in Prince Edward Island,

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

, and

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

, as well as publications. In addition to her quillwork, Peter-Paul has designed a crosswalk in

Charlottetown Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County, Prince Edward Island, Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlott ...

. In 2019, the city was also the location of her first solo exhibition. Peter-Paul lives on

, with her two sons.

Background

Quillwork is a traditional

Mi'kmaq The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Mi'kmaw'' or ''Mi'gmaw''; ; , and formerly Micmac) are an Indigenous group of people of the Northeastern Woodlands, native to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces, primarily Nova Scotia, New Bru ...

craft, but is no longer commonly practised. Peter-Paul's great-great-grandmother was a quiller, and examples of her work can be found in the

Nova Scotia Archives Nova Scotia Archives is a governmental archival institution serving the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. The archives acquires, preserves and makes available the province's documentary heritage – recorded information of provincial significance ...

. Peter-Paul was first introduced to the craft by her cousin. Additionally, her parents help her harvest ingredients for her work. Peter-Paul considers her work a revival of the art form, as well as carrying on her family tradition. She has stated, "The ancestors' presence when I do quillwork is so strong and I really feed off of it", as well as that it is "integral" to her identity as a Mi'kmaw person. She is a founding member of The Quill Sisters, "a community of skilled quill workers on

that seeks to revitalize the traditional art form through collaborative projects".

Awards

* Atlantic Indigenous Artist Award, 2023 * The Leo Chevierie Cultural Connector of the Year Award, 2023

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peter-Paul, Melissa Quillworkers 21st-century Canadian artists First Nations women artists 21st-century First Nations artists 21st-century First Nations women Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Canadian Mi'kmaq people Artists from Prince Edward Island Mi'kmaq artists